Strategy and tactics
Tactics: The Skill For information regarding the tactics skill, please refer to this page. Game-Tactics This game by its nature is hard to describe by most reviewers and players, but no one can doubt there is definitely a strong tactical element in battle, since you can command your army while fighting, among other things. Briefly stated, however, there are three main types of military: *Infantry *Ranged attackers (archers, crossbows, rock throwers, etc) *Cavalry These categories suggest a form of rock-paper-scissors arrangement, perhaps something like: *Cavalry-men beat ranged attackers *Ranged Attackers beat infantry-men *Infantry-men beat cavalry-men But more realistically like: *Cavalry-men beat all footmen (especially ranged attackers, except for in WFAS, see below). *Ranged Attackers beat other ranged attackers, infantry-men, and weaker horses (In WFAS, Firearms stop cavalry with greater success). *Infantry-men beat other infantry-men and, with good tactics and large weapons, cavalry-men (changed in WFAS, weaker cavalry+guns=Dead horseman). Thankfully, it’s not all that simple. The quality of the unit(s) in question has a huge influence: a Nordic Huscarl will shred almost any other unit in the game in most melees, regardless of the above relationships. This, of course, does not take into consideration any other factors, such as terrain or morale (the zeal of one's troops, which plays-out via the odds of either side's units fleeing mid-battle). A few things to keep in mind when one is about to start a fight: 1. Are you taking on a lord or just a group? *The presence of a lord impacts the morale of the army heavily *...which means that groups without one, such as a group of looters, are more likely to flee mid-battle 2. Where are you in the game map when the fight starts? *If you are on a mountain in the big map, expect hills in the battle, and so on 3. How is your morale? *If this is low, consider that your units might take off on you during anything but a castle siege. *''However, if you ride near them they suddenly perk back up, turn around, and get back into the fight. The Player is, in effect, a moving morale generator.'' And once in Battle.... *Take a look at the enemy units. Maybe tell your army to stay put (press 0, then F1, then F1 again anytime during combat to make the entire army stay put at your current position) and Ride out by yourself. See a lot of Missile Shooters? That means get everyone behind a hill. In fact, that’s just a good practice if you plan to play a defensive game, period. Have them spread-out, too. Although they loose cohesion this way, the added defense against missiles is totally worth it, in this scenario. *How about horses? In that case, get your butt on the top of a hill, so that they are slowed down considerably just getting to you. While you're at it, get your units to stand closer (check your control options to see how) so that the horsemen can't get through. If you really want to be a jerk but make for an easier fight, have your men stand right at the edge of the map so that when the enemy horses charge you and run past they get stopped and are momentarily vulnerable to attack. :An even better thing to do -- especially if you have very little cavalry -- is stand in the center of a river; it's impossible to charge in a river. Make sure that all your men dismount. The enemy will advance slowly and dividedly, making it extremely easy to kill them all with minimal casualties on your side. Ensure that the infantry and dismounted cavalry make-up the front line and ensure that the archers are just behind them. If you can't place them in the river itself, place them on the banks. As previously stated; one simply cannot charge through water. Historically, the Scots won many upsets against the English by doing this. *And what about any bad-ass looking infantry? In this case, get your archers in there early, and attack with your cavalry if you can to keep them distracted while your archers go nuts. once they break through your horses and start running towards the archers, unleash the infantry. Mind you, if those infantry look like they have a lot of spears, you may want to consider moving in your infantry and cavalry in such a way so they attack in unison to give the Missile Shooters all the chance they need. Try to flank (hit from behind or on the side) with your cavalry, especially when the enemy has a lot of spear-men (pole-arms and two-handed weapons are the best ways to take-down a horse) Faction-Specific Tactics Kingdom of Nords The Kingdom of Nords represents the Nordic Kingdoms of the latter parts of the Viking-Age. As Mount & Blade is published by a Swedish company, the game is somewhat biased in favour of the Nords (hence the main screen's background, the over-prominence of Nordic-themed battlefields in multi-player, as well as several other nuances that you may find in-game). Campaign Historically, the Vikings were best suited for lightning-fast raids against weak foes, so caravans and bandits are the easiest targets for you. Vaegir troops are also generally easy-pickings for Nords. Thankfully, the game allows the Norse to build siege equipment, so unsurprisingly, Nordic troops are highly desirable for siege-warfare (especially attacking) and, with the Rhodoks, are the best troops for sieges. The kingdom of Nords is a good faction, but it's hard to overlook its complete absence of cavalry -- many Nordic jarls themselves fight on foot! On the field, Nords is a terrible faction to pit against Swadia, the Khergits, and the Sarranids, due to their outdated fighting style and weakness to cavalry. Battlefield There are two battlefield-tactics in the Nordic arsenal, and they are the shield-wall and the charge. The Shield-Wall: ' :In what is probably the most famous Nordic-tactic, one simply tells all infantry-men to hold their positions (preferably on or just past the crest of a hill) and to stand closer (x1), with all archers and cavalry somewhere behind that line. This causes the infantry-men's shields to lock together and, in concert with a tall hill, can stop just about any cavalry charge (which is every Nord's worst enemy). The already tightly woven line then surrounds the halted horseman and devours it, per se (kind of like a white blood cell eating a virus). The shield-wall, being very formidable, can also stop any and all infantry-charges. Its only weaknesses are its flanks, which are hard to defend without cavalry. It gives a moderate defense against enemy archers. This approach is also very pro Sun Tzu. It was used by the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings (this is a good reminder that the shield-wall, as long as it is held, is virtually impregnable, but, when broken, is weak). '''The Nordic Charge: ' :This one's easy: have all of your men follow you. Tell your infantry to charge, find a good place for your archers and tell them first to hold their positions and next to stand their ground. Then have your cavalry (if any) flank the enemy; feel free to do the same with small contingents of infantry. If you're losing the battle, have all infantry-men surround you; it is a Nordic tradition that warriors surround the dead body (or, in your case, weakened body) of their leader and then there fight to their deaths. As per basic Sun Tzu strategy, never attack up a hill; it is suicide -- especially when done with infantry (hence the infamous failure of Picket's charge). Instead, try to pull the enemy off of their high ground with light cavalry-charges and quick, feigned retreats or weaken them first with archers (both are things that the Normans did at Senlac Hill to win the Battle of Hastings, so they have some merit to them -- neglect them at your own peril). Remember: always look to your enemy's flanks. Also as per Sun Tzu: make them prepare on their right and then attack them on their left. Always attack their weakest links; be an opportunist and a realist. Exploit everything. Do these things, and you will win. Kingdom of Rhodoks Strictly, the Kingdom of Rhodoks is representative of Medieval Italy (loosely interpreted, it can represent not only Italy, but Scotland, the Basquelands, the Swiss, and many other mountain-peoples of Medieval Europe). From its copious vineyards, to its extensive use of the board (pavise/tower) shield, the Kingdom of Rhodoks highlights especially northern Italy, linking to great city-states like Milan, Genoa, Venice, et cetera. Its spear-men and crossbowmen are like a bane to Swadia, and, along with their mountainous homeland, make-up for their weakness of no cavalry. Campaign (unfinished.) Battlefield When using Rhodoks, it is advisable not to go on the offensive, as this makes it extremely hard for you to utilize the Rhodok soldiers’ strengths, (Long reach weapons, great shields) whilst making their weaknesses more pronounced (slow movement speed, vulnerability when in 1 v 1, inability to catch up with cavalry). Crossbowmen have proved extremely useful at eliminating infantry, for this is no easy task for spearmen. Always move your infantry in front of archers because of their incredible defense. Kingdom of Swadia The Kingdom of Swadia represents all of the mainstream, High Middle Ages countries (France, Holy Roman Empire, Spain). From its crossbowmen to its stalwart knights, little can stand in the way of its militaristic might. To be honest, the Kingdom of Swadia is one of the most well-balanced, albeit somewhat overpowered, factions in the game. Campaign The Kingdom of Swadia has a very strong and balanced troop tree, however, due to it's location in the center of Calradia means that there is no such thing as peace for them. Expect to be always at war with one or two other factions. Even though their units are great for the offensive, in the beginning of the game it's best to be on the defense. Otherwise you'll lose many castles and perhaps even an town (in most cases Uxkhal). But if you are strong enough to withstand the attacks and able to break the sieges, the Kingdom of Swadia will be unstoppable. Battlefield When using Swadian troops, it is advisable to position your crossbowmen and cavalry at the top of the hill, and infantry at the bottom. This way, infantry will break their lines and separate them. Then cavalry can descend on them, getting full speed bonuses, all the while crossbowmen (however few) will shoot from above. Alternatively, you can simply amass Swadian Knights which can crush any foe on a flat battleground (which is easy to find in most places). This tactic, however, will be very costly as knights cost around 50 denars every week (depends on leadership). Kingdom of Vaegirs The Kingdom of Vaegirs is representative of Medieval Slavic countries -- hence its large area, snowy setting, and border with the Khergits (Mongols), Nords (Scandinavia), and Swadia (Holy Roman Empire). It is an okay faction, but not seen as one of the more popular factions. Along with Swadia, it was one of the first two factions in the original game. It has neither a ton of strengths nor a ton of weaknesses. It is likely to be a minor player in campaigns -- just as the Slavic countries played a lesser role in the Middle Ages. It is, however, fairly easy to raid, as were the Slavic countries in Medieval Europe, so it may serve as easy pickings for a foreign war-band. It will be pretty hard, however, to conquer all of this Kingdom unless you are of the Khanate -- this due to its size (Russia never has been small). Campaign (unfinished.) Battlefield (unfinished.) Khergit Khanate It is a wonder why the Khanate isn't as popular as Swadia in on-line games, given that the Mongols and Tatars (the real-life equivalents of the Khergits) defeated nearly all of Eurasia back in the Middle Ages. This is a wonderful faction to play -- especially if you like to win. These guys are tough; they're gifted traders, they're practically born into the saddle of their horse, and, when they get thirsty, they drink some of their horse's blood (and that's hard to beat). Historically, they ravaged entire countries, easily eradicated huge cities like Kiev and Krakow, and they're the ''only''' nation ''ever, in all the history of the world, to have conquered China. They restored the Silk Road -- an important trading route built a thousand years earlier. These guys were incredible. Their weakness was that once they had this empire of theirs, they couldn’t keep it, mostly of lack of consensus. One of the most dominant reasons that they took China, Eurasia etc, is their innovative kind of warfare. When the Europeans started using a lot of firearms and pikeman (a lot to contradict the Mongols) the Mongols fell fast. Campaign Historically, the Mongols had the largest land-based empire that the world had seen, and it is no surprise; the mounted Khergit warriors have some of the biggest advantages in the game. Not only does the Khanate start-out with four towns, but they have the most mobile armies in all of Calradia. With just a little luck, you can easily rape, kill, pillage, and burn the countrysides of every nation in the game, as well as easily win field battles (even against Rhodoks, if you put a little planning into it). However, it is difficult to take and hold cities whilst fighting for the Khanate, as all Khergits are optimized for mounted combat. This drawback was a nice touch -- historically, the Mongols didn't understand city-building. The best advice for the aspiring Khergit lord would be either to go and get troops from another faction to assist in sieges or completely overwhelm your opponents with your astounding numbers (the Mongols did a combination of the two, beginning first with the latter and then moving-on to the former upon conquering new territories. You will do well by joining the Khanate; it's one of, if not, the best faction to play in the game -- and you can play with the knowledge that your faction's real-life counterparts conquered the world. Battlefield Khergits have the simplest tactics in the game. Against most troops they can be trusted to do fairly well simply by charging at the enemy. If the enemy has higher level infantry, particularly Rhodok infantry, than it is prudent to tell your cavalry to follow you, while you ride in circles around the enemy. This allows you to soften up the enemy slowly with your archers. It is also a good idea to lead a charge through the enemy every once in a while to break them up a little. Sarranid Sultanate Campaign (unfinished.) Battlefield (unfinished.) WFAS (With Fire And Sword). In WFAS (With Fire And Sword), the ranged guns change the very core of the Tactics. It’s vital to have ranged weapons (that’s mostly muskets and other firearms) in sieges, open terrain warfare, against cavalry, infantry and other firearm-wielders. Cavalry is good still though, just nerfed (worse to balance the game). Infantry is vital too protect your firearm-wielders. Cossack Hetmanete. Category:Gameplay Category:WFAS (with fire and sword).